A Toy Story

Not Barbie, Biffo! Bear, a boy.
Not Beano, either. Dad.
A simple pink-and-white wool toy.
The biggest bear I’d had.

I found him at the Christmas Fayre,
St. Edmund’s R. C. School.
He had, I thought, a kindly air.
My mate said he looked cool.

The lady said he wasn’t clean
and asked for just five pence.
“I’d pop him in the washing machine!”
She smiled. It all made sense.

I dropped him in the car park. “Nnno!”
My hands were cold. A fuddle.
My brothers laughed while Dad sighed, “D’oh!”
He’d landed in a puddle.

At home at last, and in he popped
to whirl and wheeze and bang,
until the BEEP! The noises stopped.
Then it was time to hang.

Mum placed him on the kitchen line,
a towel beneath for drips.
“I think he’s going to be just fine!”
We ate our fish and chips.

When our new friend was somewhat dry,
he joined us for dessert.
The pink pavlova caught his eye.
He also liked my skirt.

He had no clothing, just a seam
above his bottom region.
Next day, he gladly joined the team
of bears, the furry legion!

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Published in The HyperTexts, Spotlight, September 2023.